Air deflector for ventilating systems



N. H. BRICKHAM AIR DEFLECTO FOR VENTILATING SYSTEMS Filed July 27, 1942 Patented Dec. 5, 1944 UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE AIR DEFLECTGVEN'IIILATIN G SYSTEM Nelson Brickham, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Application July 27, 1942, Serlial No. 452,525 1 claim. roi. :ss-roe) This invention relates .to an air distributor 'for Ventilating systems and has vfor its `princip-al object the provision of a' device of this character for controlling a side outlet in an air duct of a Ventilating or heating system, by means of which, any desired portion of the air 'in the duct may be deected and directed from the duct flow through the side outlet and, in which, the flow discharging from the outlet will be uniform over its entire area.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the iollowing description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the impro-ved distributor illustrating it in the closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar section, illustrating the distributor in the partially open position;

Fig. 3 is a cross section thereof, taken on the i Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the locking sleeve employed for holding the grille open;

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the bar hinges employed; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the angle adjusting bracket.

In the drawing a typical air duct isillustrated at I2 positioned in a, room ceiling I3. It could, of course, be similarly positioned in a vertical air duct in which event the ceiling line I3 would represent the wall plaster line. It could also be attached to open air ducts either horizontal or vertical as desired.

The entire distributor is enclosed in a rectangular frame I4, one face of which is enclosed by means of an ornamental register face or grille I5. The frame is formed with an inner ange I6 which is bolted, riveted or otherwise attached to the face of the air duct I2, and with an outer flange I'l which forms the border or frame for the attachment of the grille I5. In open installations the housing simply projects from the duct. In closed installations the outer flange I'I over lies the plaster line I3, as illustrated.

The distributor consists of a plurality of transversely extending sheet-metal blades I8. The

blades are bent longitudinally to a substantially rectangular cross section, that is, the inner por tions of the .blades lie substantially parallel to the axis of the air duct and the outer portions lie substantially at right angles thereto, the two portions being joined by an arcuately curved bend as illustrated.

A first hinge `lug ISS is vformed or secured `on each extremity of the inner portion of eachblade and 'projects inwardly therefrom. A supporting bar 2U extends across all of the Vblades at each extremity thereof. The hinge lugs of the blades are secured to the bars 2U at uniformly spaced points by means of pivot rivets 2I. The spacing -is such that the inner portion of each blade slightly overlaps the curved bend of the preceding blade as illustrated.

The outer extremities of the two connecting bars are hingedly mounted on hinge clips 22 attached to the inner ilange I6. The blades are freely rotatable on the pivotrivets 2l and are maintained. in parallel relation at all positions by means of tw connectingbars 23, there being one connecting bar across each extremity of the series of blades. Each blade is pivotally secured to the connecting bars at its extremities by means of pivot ears 24 and pivot rivets 25. 'Ihe spacing of the pivot rivets 25 along the bars23 corresponds to the spacing of the pivot rivets 2| along the bars 2U and the bars 2 3 are parallel to the bars 2| so that the blades are maintained parallel to each other at all times.

The angularity of theblades, however, is adjustable by shifting the bars 23 longitudinally. This shifting is accomplished by means of adjusting levers 26 which are pivotally mounted at their inner extremities on the housing I4, as shown at 21, and which project outwardly through the grille I5 at their outer extremities. One extremity of each connecting bar 23 is pivoted to one of the levers 26 intermediate the extremities of the latter, as shown at 28. Thus, it can be seen that movement of the levers 26 will simultaneously swing al1 of the blades on their pivots 2l.

The entire series of blades can be swung into ther duct by means of a push rod 29 which is rotatably mounted in a slotted rod bracket 30 secured on the innermost blade. The rod 29 is provided with suitable xed bushing flanges or nuts 3I to prevent the bracket from moving longitudinally of the rod.' The push rod extends through both the inner and outer flanges I6 and I'I and terminates on the exterior in a suitable finger knob 32. The rod extends through a locking sleeve 33, one extremity of which is threaded into the outer fiange l1. The sleeve 33 is provided with a set screw 34 by means of which the rod may be locked in any desired position in the sleeve.

For open installations, the sleeve is preferably threaded into the back of the outer flange, as shown in Fig. 4, and for enclosed installations the sleeve is preferably threaded into the front of the flange as shown in Fig. 1, so that access to the set screw may be had in either type of installation. v

The operation of the distributor is believed to be readily apparent. When in the closed position no air passes out the grille I5. As the push rod 29 is forced inwardly the blades separate from each other, as shown in Fig. 2, and each blade slices off, as it Were, its proportional amount of the air ow and delivers it through the grille.

Thus, a uniform flow is assured throughout the entire Width of the grille. The Width of the socalled slice taken by each blade can be regulated by regulation of the push rod 29. Adjustment by means of the lever 26 serves to direct the air discharging from the grille to either side or straight ahead as desired.

This exact control of the amount of air deected allows all of the outlets along an air duct to be regulated or metered so that all will receive a uniform or proportionate amount of the air flow. The device operates equally well at the head of a duct or at any given intermediate position therealong.

While a specic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, Within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

In an air deecting device for air ducts of the type having a series of parallel curvated blades pivotally mounted at their extremities on a pair of parallel supporting bars, means for swinging the entire series of blades into said duct and for rotating the blades on their pivots from the exterior of said duct comprising: a fixed pivot attaching one of each pair of parallel bars to said duct; an adjusting lever pivoted at its one extremity to said duct and extending to the exterior thereof; means for pivoting the extremity of the other parallel bar of each pair on said lever eccentric of the axis thereof; and an adjusting member extending to the exterior of said duct and connected with the free extremity of the rst parallel bar of each pair.

NELSON H. BRICKHAM. 

